Shatter
by Wingu
Summary: It's funny how our strongest bonds break so easily.
1. The Injury that Started it All

Disclaimer: Wingu doesn't own D. Gray-Man, if she did Lenalee would die a horrible, horrible death.

* * *

"Riku! Come quick, and bring some hot water and bandages!"

A small child dashed into the room, the hot water sloshed around inside the bucket she was carrying. Quickly, she set it down on the floor near the man. The bundle of bandages fell to the ground and unraveled at the foot of the unconscious brunette-haired boy.

The child moved on, she soaked the bandages in the water. Squeezing them dry, she wrapped them silently around the boy's injured ankle while the older man did the same for his arms. Slowly the pair wound bandages around the boy's injuries.

The man stopped as he pulled the left sleeve of the child up. Of all the things God could've thrown at him, this was unexpected. The arm…it was deformed? No, not deformed, he'd seen this type of deformation before.

The child's entire left arm was red. Scaly and red. Absently he traced down the child's arm with his hand. Running his finger over the cross, that Mana knew would be there, a shock of pain ran up his arm. Not surprising considering the arm probably contained Innocence.

" What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"That's not true! You still haven't bandaged his arm."

"…"

There was no point in continuing. If he didn't feel like talking then he wouldn't't talk, especially if he was in one of those "I'm thinking don't bother me" moods. She sighed, raising her hand to wipe her forehead. A drop of warm liquid fell onto her hand. Riku looked down at her right hand; red blood coated the entire hand, the smell was intense. Instinctively she raised her left hand to wipe her forehead it too came down a bloody mess.

_Why…? Why is there so much blood!? _  
_No one's injured….except…! But I've already bandaged all his wounds.  
Wait! Could they have…?_

The bandages were red. They weren't supposed to be red.

-- -- --

_Red, everywhere…the snow falling from the sky, it was red too. A string of corpses surrounded the young girl. Streaks of red washing down her checks carried along by her tears. The woman…her still bandaged arms were red. The blood soaking through her bandages, she raised a hand to stroke the child's check. _

"_Don't cry. We are here to protect you. That is and was our only task. You must live on. If you die, everything we've fought for will disappear. Don't…be…sad…our…hop- "_

_The hand fell away from her check leaving only a bloody imprint. The child reached for the woman's hand. Already it was far colder than the icy snow all around her. _

-- -- --

She clutched the boy's bloody hand. A bright green light engulfed the both of them. The man woke from his thoughts. Awestruck, he watched as the light engulfed the child. He was surprised. Riku hadn't't healed anyone since the snowy-day three years ago. What caused her to heal a complete stranger? He gazed into the light.

Still clutching the boy's hand, Riku whispered into the his ear, "I won't let you die. You have to hold on. Hold onto your life! It's the only thing you have, don't lose sight of it. Don't lose hope. Hope is the light that guides us all!"

Her grip tightened while the darkness in the corners of her eyes grew. It reached out until it engulfed her. Falling in the shadows, Riku asked out faintly;

" Did I do ok…Mana?"

And with that she hit the floor.

* * *

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Wingu likes everything except for flaming... And she needs motivation.  
Thanks for reading!


	2. Thank You

Allen opened his eyes. A dull shade of white stared back at him. It was bright wherever he was, and he was warm. For the first time in a long time, Allen was warm. He blinked and realized he was looking up at the ceiling. Which meant that he was in a house. Which, of course, was not possible for someone like him. Allen raised his right hand to slap himself.

Crack.

Opening his eyes, they were met with the same brightness. Allen moved his left hand, only to find that he couldn't. The memory hit him in the face. He had fallen down a set of icy steps. After that, all he could remember was red. A lot of red. He raised his right arm again.

It was not red. Nor did it have any cuts or bruises. Allen's right arm was looking better than it did since winter's start! But the pain was still vivid. So it must have been the left arm that was injured. The cursed arm. Allen turned his head to the left; the sight he saw almost blew his mind. Lying next to him, hugging his cursed arm was a girl. He dark hair spilling over onto the white pillows and blanket. He sat up and pulled his arm from the girls grasp.

_Can't she see? Can't she see how ugly this arm is? _

Allen got up and jumped to the ground. A soft thump emitted when his feet met the ground. Allen winced. It was on the loud side but hopefully, no one would hear. On his tiptoes, Allen slowly made his way to the door. He raised his arm to grab the doorknob. The door creaked open, and he was home free! Allen prepared to run through the door, only to feel a tug on his left arm. The girl was holding onto his wrist. She looked at Allen and spoke.

" Where do you think your going?! You still aren't fully healed! Back to bed with you."

Allen stood rooted to the ground. She seemed nice enough. But…how could he trust some random stranger?

"C'mon. Your going to catch a cold if you don't get back in bed!"

Maybe, just maybe he could make a dash for the door. This girl couldn't be that strong.

"Don't make me get Mana."

Mana? Who was that? What if he was mean? It was decided. He would bolt for the door, and head back out into the streets. Back to his home.

_On three._

_One._

_Two._

_THREE!_

Allen bolted. Riku's hand fell from his wrist as he ran towards the door. He was slightly aware of the throbbing pain in his legs. But only slightly. Because at that moment, Allen was more aware of the pair of arms around his waist. He looked up into the face of a kindly looking middle-aged man.

_Is this Mana?_

"Mana, I'm sorry, I should of kept better watch. It's my fault."

"No, Riku calm down, you were tired and had every right to sleep. Go grab some hot water and bandages, looks like his leg's didn't fully heal."

_So he is Mana. He doesn't look so mean._

Mana set the boy down on the couch. He sat on the piano bench across from the child.

"What's your name?"

Silence.

"I won't hurt you, promise."

"Allen." The boy said simply.

"Allen, why did you try to run away? Is Riku really that scary?"

"HEY! I heard that!"

Mana chuckled as the girl entered the room, a bucket of steaming water in her hands and a package of bandages on her head. Allen turned his head to face Mana.

"I was scared."

Silence spread through the room. Riku set down her bucket and left Mana's side. She walked over to the couch and sat on the edge next to Allen.

"Your name is Allen right? Why are you scared? It's ok if you say I'm scary. I promise not to shout at you."

"Your not scary. You even touched my arm."

"Isn't it normal for humans to touch each other?"

"But you touched my cursed arm. It's unlucky."

"That's not true! Nothing's cursed, everything is the way it is for a reason."

Mana smiled in his mind. Riku would keep on talking until Allen accepted that his arm wasn't cursed. It was her gift. A blessing from God. At this thought Mana laughed in his mind. The God he knew, that God only wanted destruction. But the humans, they had a God who blessed people. A God who _wanted _his people to prosper. Who gave out gifts, the humans said that if someone had a particular gift, it was a blessing from God.

_How ironic. A man like me, who is blessed by his own God, who doesn't believe in the fake God, as found two of the fake one's apostles. They should be burdens, dead weights, they should be dead at my hand. Yet, the sight of them, it makes me smile. It makes me call them "Blessings" but God, he doesn't give out blessings. Humans are the most pitiful of all creatures, yet they are also the most blessed._

"You're a nice person Riku."

Mana glanced back at the couch. Allen had fallen asleep and Riku was putting a wet towel on his head. She turned to Mana and said "Allen has a fever. I told him he would get sick! But did he listen to me? Noooooooooooo. He just had to get out of bed."

Mana placed a hand on Riku's shoulder, and hushed her. God if no stopped her she would never stop talking!

_He had used a reference to "God" again. And not his God, the fake one, the one who didn't exist._

"Let's get Allen into bed. For the time being, he'll sleep in your room ok?"

She nodded and ran off to the kitchen. She turned and stopped, telling Mana "The thickest blanket is under my bed, I'll go get the things for soup."

Mana walked into Riku's room, winter light reflected off her white walls illuminating the room. He tucked the boy into the warm white blankets. Squatting down he reached under the bed and pulled out the fluffy down blanket Riku saved for the coldest night. He draped it over the boy. He walked towards the door, ready to leave the room.

"Th-thank you…Mana."

Mana turned around and smilied back at Allen.

"Your welcome."

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Reviews make a happy author. Happy author means faster chapters! Faster chaters means happy readers...I think...


	3. I am not that Person

Wow. It's Aug. And I haven't updated since March. Over this period of time my writing style has changed and so this chapter may be a little awkward. Also I changed the way I wanted to end this story so Mana won't make any major apperences anymore.

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Slowly time moves on. A day, a week a month and the boy forgets about moving away. He _likes _it here. And slowly he opens up. It seems that every laugh and every smile Riku gives him causes him to open up even more. He won't admit it but she is the center of his world. It revolves around her laughter and smiles.

He won't admit it but, Allen Walker has found a home.

She is the center of his world. He knows this, and protects her with a ferocity he's never seen before. Whenever they go out to run Mana's errands people would point and laugh at her. They point to her black hair and almond eyes. They whisper about how she's a monster, a devil.

He can feel the anger flare up inside him. Riku is not a monster. A monster wouldn't have such a cute smile. He knows this so he pushes her past all the people. They pick up what they need from the grocers and leave. He grabs her hand and leads her home, running past all the suspicious faces and snide comments.

She trips on a patch of ice and scrapes her hands. She's not wearing mittens, she doesn't have any, and she gave them to him. He can't help but feel guilty as he watches her blood color the snow. He tells her sorry. And she stares back and asks why.

Allen can't reply. He is too cowardly to tell her that if she had mittens she wouldn't be bleeding. And that he is too weak because he couldn't stand the cold and took her mittens.

On top of this Allen Walker knows another thing. He is the monster. Not Riku.

She laughs and tells him the mittens made her hands too warm anyways and slips her hand into his. She tugs and this time it's her who's leading the way home. She turns back and smiles at him and he knows its ok. He knows she will be fine.

--

A year passes. The stifling wind of summer changes into the clam breeze of fall. All around, leaves are falling down. He thinks they're annoying, just pieces of color falling aimlessly from the sky.

He won't admit it but they remind him of himself. Allen knows that he's just a lucky little leaf that found a home.

--

Old man winter comes again. He grasps the city in an ever present cold. This is Riku's least favorite season. She doesn't like the cold and everyday she makes soup. Every day when Allen and Mana come home there is a steaming bowl of soup waiting for them on the table. She walks around the house wrapped in layers and layers of blankets. The sight makes him happy inside. She pulls out both of their chairs.

"Its tomato and potato today" She says while running to go get spoons.

"Is it good?" She asks sitting in her own chair her chin in her hands starring innocently at Allen. He nods and spoons more into his mouth and continues to eat. She beams and tells them both.

"I can't go work at the circus, so I'll stay at home and do the work I can do here." She beams again and Mana ruffles her hair. He gets up and heads to his study. Allen knows what this means. The rest of the days is theirs Riku looks up and tells him what she wants to do.

She wants to go _alone_ to go buy stuff for tonight. It's his birthday. It's special. She wants to make it special.

His better judgment screams no. His judgment tells him what will happen. He knows what the villagers will do to a poor girl. But he wants her to be happy. So he lets her go.

--

If you ask Allen Walker what he regrets the most today, he will reply with a sad smile and tell you he regrets letting the snow turn red. Everyone in the Black Order thought he meant the blood of all the innocents whose blood the Earl had spilled. No one knew the girl with black hair that tumbled down her back. No one knew the girl whose smile could light up an entire room.

No one knew Riku.

The memories are few and in-between. Her hand all bloody and torn, her eyes still glowing, and the spilled groceries that lay next to her. He remembered watching in horror as he blood ate at the white snow, slowly but surely turning it red. He remembers her eyes still sparkling with life as she held out her hand and whispered to him.

She says it simply. She whispers it. She wanted him to forget her. He stares at her in shock. He can only stand there as the life seemingly flows into the snow. It disappears and the last thing she does. She _smiles_ just once more for him.

He won't admit it but, Allen Walker knows that it's his fault. If only he had said no. If only he had come sooner…

This is how Mana finds him. His eyes vacant of any feelings sitting, crouching over her body, she would have been sleeping it if weren't for the vibrant red that surrounded her.

This is how Lenalee finds him. His mind in the swirling mass of memories left behind. She thinks he's thinking about what he learned from Cross this fall.

"Allen, we don't care if you're the 14th, we're your friends. Please come down. It's Christmas, and there's a lot of food!" She can't help but look worried. He doesn't reply and she only walks out of the room sighing.

It has been ten years since she lost her life. In ten years he wonders if he's changed at all. She taught him to hold tighter to things important to him.

He won't admit it but, somewhere deep down inside of him, Allen Walker would give up everyone and everything he has now to see her smile just once more.

_Allen. You have a great future in front of you._

_But to get there you will have to walk a path filled with many deaths._

_And then one day you will meet someone who you'll care about_

_And your whole world will revolve around her._

_She will be the center of your world._

_Don't burden yourself with me._

_Forget I ever existed._

_Because…_

_I am not that person._

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To anyone that still waited for another chapter to come out, this one is for you. My writing style has chaned so I'm not sure how this will fit together. But I'm sorry for sorta ditching this.

This is also dedicated to a certain someone who pushed me to finish this. There will be one more chaptery sorta thingy after this. Expet it really soon. and then I will be done with Shatter, my first ever fanfic.

By the way, tomato-potato soup is a favorite of mine. It's really good but you might have to be Asian to understand it.


	4. The Sun

_There was once a homeless boy._

_He thought he was a monster._

_One day this boy fell down and hurt himself._

_When he wakes up he meets her._

_At first he is confused. Why does someone care about a monster?_

_Why does someone bother to save him?_

_He wants to leave._

_But then she smiles._

_This boy decides maybe he'll stay._

_A day passes, then a week and a month._

_This boy has found a home._

_--_

_There was once a seed that was forgotten._

_But one day the sun comes out._

_And this seed becomes the most beautiful flower._

_--_

_He is the forgotten seed._

_She is the sun._

_He won't admit it,_

_But his__ world revolves around her._

_Her and her smile that is the sun._

_Her and her laughter which is the kind, cool rain._

_--_

_But one day the sun disappears._

_She is swallowed up in a flurry of snow and blood._

_She tells the boy with a smile on her face._

_She tells him he has a great future._

_She tells him that one day he will find a girl._

_And he will love this girl more than the sun._

_She tells him, she is not this girl._

_That she is a __burden._

_She tells him to_

_**forget**_

_her._

_--_

_The boy doesn't know what to say._

_So he continues to walk._

_Down that lonely path called _

_Life._

_--_

_And she is right._

_He does have an incredible future._

_But she is also wrong._

_She is not a burden._

_She will __**not**__ be forgotten._

_He has still not met_

"_The girl who will outshine the sun."_

_He does not think he ever will._

_--_

_The boy who was so young before_

_Is now fifteen._

_He has learned many new things._

_He has met many new people._

_He wonders if he has changed._

_--_

_And he has._

_From her he has learned to hold on tighter._

_To those little things that will flow out of his hands._

_Little things like a smile._

_Like a Laugh._

_Like the Sun._

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Ahhh... It feels nice to finish my first fanfiction. I have to appologize for all the errors in the last chapter. If you find one feel free to PM me and I'll change it.

With this done I'm moving on to other stories. Maybe if I'm not that lazy and find some motivation.

I'd like to end Shatter with a thank-you. A HUGE thank-you to everyone who reads this and leaves a review. Those make my day.

And another thank-you to anyone and everyone who read this Fanfic. I'd love to hear what you think, so please consider droping me a PM or Review.

- Wingu :D


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